Storage battery



INVENTOR. MEMPH m flea/4am "5 W ROLPH STORAGE BATTERY Filed April 20, 1940 ATTORN Patented Dec. 2 9, 1942 STORAGE Bi-TTERY Samuel W. Rolph, Shaker or to Willard Storage Battery Heights, Ohio, assign- Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of West Virginia Application April 20, 1940, Serial No. 330,787

4= Claims.

This invention relates to storage batteries and has particular reference to an improved construction for preventing overfilling of the cell or cells of the battery.

More particularly the invention relates to a construction wherein a valve is provided to pre-' vent the escape of air from the underside of the cover during filling, this valve including a port arranged adjacent to the filling well and a movable valve member arranged to close the port when the filler plug is removed and to be displaced so as to uncover'the port when the filler plug is restored to its normal position preferably by the direct engagement of the lower end of the plug with the movable valve member which is preferably arranged so as to be in the path of movement of the lower end of the plugwhen it is screwed in place. g

It is a feature of the present invention that the valve is constructed and arranged so as to be moved bodily to and from portclosing position. It may be moved by gravity to close the port when the filler plug is removed and may be positively moved'by engagement with the lower end of the plug so as to uncover the port when the plug is restored to its normal position. This valve memher is preferably in the form of a ball or sphere so that it can be moved with a rolling action to and from port closing position but this is not an essential feature of the invention.

The present invention including a valve of this type lends itself to various forms of venting means or expedients for venting a battery in its normal operation. For example, the port may lead to a valve chamber which communicates with a vent chamber having a vent opening which is separate from the filler plug, or it may communicate with the filling well and with a. vent chamber in the filler plug provided at the top with avent opening such as is customarily provided in vent plugs employed in batteries having the standard form of venting.

The invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings wherein I have shown several forms of my invention;

Fig. l is a perspective view of the upper part' of a battery equipped with one form of my invent-ion;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through the venting and filling portion of the cover equipped with the form of the invention opening 22.

illustrated in Fig. l, the filler plug being in place and the valve being therefore in a position to sufllciently uncover the port to allow the venting to take place through a vent chamber and vent opening separate from the filler plug;

Fig. 3 is a similar view with the filler plug removed and with the valve member in port closing position so as to trap the air on the underside of the cover as is desired when the cell is being filled;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a different form of vent chamber and vent opening independent of the filler plug then illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Figs. 2 and 3 but showing a construction wherein the normal venting takes place through the filler plug and the vent opening in the top of the plug.

Referring now to the drawing, Ill represents the battery case which may be formed of the usual materials inert to acid, such as hard rubber, and may have any desired number of cells. The battery may have individual cell covers H for the various cells. As is customary, each cover is preferably provided with a marginal skirt (not shown) the lower marginal portion of which fits closely into the cell compartment, and the usual sealing compound indicated at l2 seals and holds the cover in the upper part of the com partment. The cells will be provided with the usual battery elements having upstanding posts which extend up through openings near opposite ends of the cell covers, the posts being sealed in the covers in any of the usual ways. The two Y terminal posts of the battery are shown at l3 and the inter-cell connectors at l4. Each cover has a filling opening and a filling well I5 formed by an annular flange l6 extending up from the top of the cover and by an annular skirt l'l projecting downwardly from the underside of the cover to the normal electrolyte level. The annular flange I6 is internally threaded to receive the filler plug I8.

Coming now to the features more directly involving the present invention, in the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the normal venting is accomplished independently of the filler plug and'there is provided a separate vent chamber 19 contiguous to the filler plug and filling opening, and in this instance is formed by a cup 20 screwed into an upstanding flange 21 of the cover and provided at the top with a small vent The flange 2| may be formed as an extension of the flange it which receives the filler plug or may be spaced therefrom. At the bottom of the vent chamber I9 I have provided a perforated baffle 23 to break up the gas bubbles escaping from the surface of the electrolyte. This ballle may be supported in any suitable way, but in this instance on suitable supporting shoulders to which it is held by the lower end of the cup 20. Extending from the lower part of the vent chamber 19 is a passageway 24 which is inclined downwardly and laterally toward the well l5 and at its lower end communicates with the well I5 just below the internally threaded portion of the annular flange 16. The lower end of this passageway 24 in effect constitutes a valve chamber. A port 25 leads to the valve chamber through the lower side of the wall forming the chamber and located adjacent to the skirt H, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

A movable valve member, in this instance in the form of a ball 26, is provided in the valve chamber, and when the filler plug is removed the ball is retained in the lower end of the passageway 24, closing the port 25 and projecting partially into the well l5 through the opening between the passageway 24 and the well l5 which opening, while permitting a portion of the ball to project therethrough when the filler plug is removed, is somewhat smaller in size than the ball and holds the ball in the position shown in Fig. 3 with the port 25 closed so that air will be trapped on the underside of the cover during filling. As is well understood, in constructions 'of this general kind the air which is trapped on the underside of the cover prevents more than a certain amount of water or other liquid being supplied to the battery, and when the liquid rises up in the well, it indicates to the operator that the cell has been filled with sufiicient liquid When the plug is restored to its normal position shown in Fig. 2, the lower end of the plug cams the ball up along the inclined passageway a suflicient distance to uncover the port 25 and allow the air to escape from the underside of the cover and the liquid which had previously risen up into the filling well to run down into the cell. Likewise, it allows the venting of the cell to occur through the port past the ball and then into the chamber I9 and out by way of the vent opening 22. The ball or other suitably shaped valve member will be formed of material inert to the battery electrolyte, such as lead, and the covers and the associated parts, such as the filler plugs, the vent chamber cups 20, and the baflles 23 will also be formed of suitable material inert to the battery electrolyte, such as hard rubber.

If'a bodily movable valve member other than a ball is used, the action will be similar to that just explained, the inclination of the bottom wall of the passageway 24 being such that the valve member will be moved downwardly to port closing position when the filler plug is removed and will be slid up the incline by the filler plug when the plug is restored to its normal position. It will be understood, of course, that the relative sizes of the passageway 24 and the valve member are such that when the valve member is cammed outwardly by the filler plug so as to uncover the port the gases passing from the battery can pass from the port 25 around the valve member and out of the battery by .way of the vent chamber 19 and vent opening 22.

In Fig. 4 a construction is shown which differs from that illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 simply in the manner of forming the vent chamber. In this construction the cell cover, here designated 21, has a filling well 28 formed by the upstanding flange 29 and by the downwardly extending skirt 30 as with the construction first described. As before, the flange 29 is internally threaded to receive the filler plug here designated 3|. In this instance, the vent chamber 32 is diagonally disposed and is formed in the cover contiguous to and with a portion thereof forming an extension of the flange 29. The outer part of this vent chamber 32 is closed by a screwed-in disk 33 having a vent opening 34. The lower part of the chamber 32 is reduced in size and extends downwardly and laterally toward and at its lower end communicates with the well 28 just below the threads in the flange 29, as in the construction first described. The lower part of the chamber 32, as before, forms a chamber to receive a bodily movable valve member 35 again shown in the form of a ball and adapted to cover and uncover a port 36 arranged as in the construction first described. When the plug 3| is removed, the ball moves by gravity to its lowermost position with a portion projecting into the well 29, as shown in Fig. 4, and closing the port 36, and when the filler plug is restored, the lower end of the plug cams the ball upwardly along the lower inclined wall of the valve chamber or reduced part of the vent chamber 32 and uncovers the port 36 so that the trapped air may escape from the lower side of the cell cover and so that the battery may vent through the port into the chamber 32 and out by way of the vent opening 34.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 operates on the same principle as the constructions previously described except that in this instance the release of the air trapped on the underside of the cover and the normal venting of the battery occur through the filler plug. In this construction the cover,31 has a filling opening and well 38 formed by the upstanding flange 39 and the skirt 49, the flange being internally threaded as before to receive the filler plug or vent plug 4| which in this instance has on the interior a vent chamber 42 having one or more perforated baffles 43 and is provided at the top with a small vent opening 44. The lower part of the plug 4| is provided just beneath the threaded portion with a transverse opening 45 the purpose of which will be referred to presently. The cover is provided adjacent to the filling well with a valve chamber 49 which is formedby a diagonally disposed opening molded in the cover next to the filling well and permanently closed at its outer end by a plug 41. In this valve chamber is a valve member 48, again in the form of a ball, which is adapted to cover and uncover a port 49 arranged as in the previous constructions, it being understood that the plug 41 will be applied to close the outer end of the chamber after the insertion of the ball 48.

The lower part of the valve chamber 46 communicates with the well 38 so that when the filler plug is removed a. portion of the ball will protrude into the well, but the communicating opening between the chamber and the well is small enough so that only a portion of the ball will extend into the well as in the prior constructions. Of course, when the ball is in the position shown in Fig. 6, it closes the port 49. When the filler plug is restored to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 5, the lower part of the plug cams the ball outwardly and upwardly so as to uncover the port 49 and at the sametime the opening 45 in the lower or skirt portion of the plug 4| aaoaosz is brought into alignment with a portion of the opening between the valve chamber and the well. The opening 45 is so positioned in the lower portion of the plug that when the plug 4| is tightened the alignment of the opening 45 with the opening at the lower end of the valve chamber 46 will be accomplished.

Accordingly, when the vent plug is restored to its normal position, the ball 48 will be cammed laterally and upwardly so as to uncover the port 49 and allow the air trapped on the underside of the cover to escape into the filler plug and out through the vent opening at the top thereof. Additionally, with this construction the battery will be vented through the well 38 and the filler plug or vent plug H, the gases being free to enter the well at the bottom thereof and also by way of the port 49 which remains uncovered so long as the vent plug is in normal position.

I do not regard it essential that the port 45 be provided in the lower part of the filler or vent plug for doubtless the air trapped on the underside of the cover can pass from the port 49 into the hollow plug at the bottom of the latter, and e the same is true of the gases which are vented through the port 49.

The use of a bodily movable valve member such as herein illustrated and described has other advantages than those mentioned above in preventing the loss of electrolyte should the battery be turned upside down, as when used in an airplane. This advantage is obtainable with the construction employing a separate vent chamber as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. To adapt the construction illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 so as to prevent the loss of electrolyte not only when the battery is used in airplane service but under other conditions in which the battery may be inverted, it is only necessary to omit the baffie 23, in which case, when the battery is inverted, the ball 26 will close and seal the vent opening 22.

It is to be noted that with all embodiments of the present invention, although a movable valve member is employed to close the port leading to the valve chamber when the battery is being filled, nevertheless when the battery is in use after the filler plug or vent plug has been restored, it is impossible for the ball or other movable valve member to close the port. This has an important advantage over a construction wherein the port is normallyclosed by the movable valve member and wherein-the vibration or other movement of the battery while in use or the pressure of gas on the underside of the cover is relied upon to unseat the valve member and allow the venting to occur, for in a construction of .the latter type the periodic unseating of the valve member would result in the spraying of considerable electrolyte through the port and out of the battery by way of the vent opening.

It will be seen that the object of the invention is attained very eifectively by the present invention, and while I have shown certain embodiments of the invention, I do not desire to be confined thereto but aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1.- In combination with a cover of a storage battery having a filling opening therein and a neck extending downward from the lower face of the cover about the filling opening and also provided with a vent passage extending through the the space beneath said cover and about said neck and the other end thereof communicating with the atmosphere, means above said neck and extending about the filling opening for receiving a plug to close said opening, said means being formed with a lateral opening in the side wall thereof, a valve member in the form of a ball carried by said cover, said cover being formed with a surface on which the ball rests and inclined downwardly toward the upper end of said vent passage whereby the ball is movable under the action of gravity into a vent closing position in which a portion of the ball projects into said lateral opening, and a plug for closing the filling opening engageable with the portion of the ball which projects into said lateral opening to displace the ball from said vent closing position and permit the flow of gas through said vent passage.

2. A storage battery cover provided with a filling opening and a neck extending downward below the lower face of the cover and about the filling opening, said cover being formed with a gas vent located adjacent the filling opening and having the lower end thereof communicating with the space beneath the cover and about said neck and the upper end thereof communicating with the atmosphere, a valve for closing said opening consisting of a ball, a housing on said cover for receiving said ball and formed with a lateral opening extending into said filling opening and of less width than. said ball, said cover having a surface thereon on which the ball rests which surface is inclined downwardly toward the upper end of the gas vent for directing said ball toward the filling opening under the action of gravity and into a vent closing position in which a portion of the ball projects into said lateral opening, and a plug for said filling opening engageable with said ball on insertion of the plug into the filling opening to displace the ball from said vent closing position .and permit the flow of gas through said passage.

3. In a storage battery, a cell having a cover provided with a filling opening and with a well extending down to substantially the normal electrolyte level, a removable filler plug normally closing the filling opening, a valve chamber adjacent the well and provided with a bottom wall which slopes downwardly toward the filling opening, there being between the lower end of the valve chamber and the well a communicating opening, said chamber containing a bodily movable valve member which when the filler plug is removed moves by gravity down the sloping bottom wall so as to extend partially into the well, said cover having a vent passage one end of which com- -municates with the space beneath said cover and about said well and the other end of which communicates with the atmosphere and which is so located that when the filler plug is removed the bodily movable valve member moves by gravity down the sloping wall so as to close the vent passage, the filler plug having means for engaging the valve member when the plug is restored to normal position and for moving the same up the sloping wall to a position to uncover the vent cover with one end thereof communicating with opening.

4. In a storage battery, a cell having a cover provided with a filling opening and with a well extending down to substantially the normal electrolyte level, a removable filler plug normally closing the filling opening, a valve chamber adjacent the well and provided with a bottom wall which slopes downwardly toward the filling opening, there being between the lower end of the valve chamber and the well a communicating opening, said chamber containing a bodily movable ball valve which when the filler plug is removed moves by gravity down the sloping bottom wall so as to extend partially into the well, said cover having a vent passage one end of which communicates with the space beneath said cover and about said well and the other end of which communicates with the atmosphere and which is so located that when the tiller plug is removed the bodily movable ball valve moves by gravity down the sloping wall so as to close the vent passage, the tiller plug having means for engaging the ball valve when the plug is restored to normal position and for moving the same up the sloping wall to a position to uncover the vent opening.

SAMUEL W. RDIPH. 

